Congress: GOP hurting the economy on purpose?

“House Speaker John Boehner maintained his hard line on the nation’s debt ceiling in an interview that aired Sunday, saying he is ‘not going to apologize for leading,’” the Boston Globe writes, adding, “Boehner rejected the notion that the anxiety of another debt battle could harm the nation’s economic recovery.”

He also noted though that his caucus is a pretty “disparate” one. “It is hard to keep 218 frogs in a wheelbarrow long enough to get a bill passed,” he said on ABC’s This Week.

On NBC’s Meet the Press, Paul Ryan backed Boehner. “If we fix the programs that are the drivers of our debt, then we reduce a debt crisis likelihood,” Ryan said. “Then we actually bring borrowing down, which opens up certainty for investors.”

Congressional speech has dropped a grade level to 10th grade. The top two members – Reps. Dan Lungren (R-CA) and Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-CA). The bottom two – Reps. Mick Mulvaney (R-SC) and Rob Woodall (R-GA).

Political Wire: “Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) was ‘forced to sell his dream home’ in Utah with ‘his mortgage bank taking a significant loss -- up to $400,000 -- in a 'short sale' as the housing bust in his neighborhood drained his house's value,’ the Salt Lake Tribune reports.”